Million Dollar Gift to Create Nursing Innovation Center

Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin gives Edgewood College a one million dollar gift to create a nursing innovation center.

Madison, Wis. (August 20, 2013) – Edgewood College and Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin (GHC-SCW) are honored to announce a one million dollar gift given to the College to create the Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin Center for Primary Care Innovation.

The Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin Center for Primary Care Innovation will engage and enlist Edgewood College nursing students and graduates in innovative, progressive models of primary care delivery.

“How the patient is seen, how the patient is heard, and how the patient’s needs are met remain the primary tenets of healthcare,” said Dr. Margaret Noreuil, RN, Ph.D., Dean of the Henry Predolin School of Nursing. “We’ll collaborate with GHC-SCW on how those three pillars can be improved through innovation and integration in the patient experience. This is a remarkable opportunity for our students in both our undergraduate and graduate level programs.”

Ninety percent of Edgewood College nursing graduates remain in Wisconsin and serve in a wide variety of healthcare settings. Increasingly, the role of nursing is transforming how primary care will be delivered to scores of newly insured patients as well as the increasing number of aging patients in the future. It is broadly understood that in progressive health care organizations registered nurses will deliver care coordination, education and primary care management most effectively and efficiently.

“As the nursing profession continues to evolve into perhaps the most crucial role in day-to-day healthcare, Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin (GHC-SCW) is committed to active and enthusiastic participation in advancing the future of clinical nursing practice,” GHC-SCW CEO Kevin R. Hayden said. “We believe that one important way to accomplish this is to create a sustaining relationship with the Henry Predolin School of Nursing at Edgewood College. With this gift, we will create relationships that bring progressive educational opportunities to students, our organization and to the communities we serve.”

“On behalf of the students, faculty and staff of Edgewood College, we thank GHC-SCW for this generous gift. We are thrilled that this partnership recognizes the quality and leadership of our School of Nursing,” Edgewood College President Dan Carey said. “We continue to be a leader in Wisconsin, addressing head-on the critical need for healthcare professionals in our state. This gift benefits our students first and foremost, by both ensuring the quality of our learning environment and by providing opportunities for innovative academic programming. The impact of this gift will be felt by the communities we serve for years to come.”